These artist’s renderings depict Columbus Center, the controversial 1.5 million-square-foot project to be built above the Massachusetts Turnpike in Boston.
State Sen. Dianne Wilkerson has denied a report that she is seeking taxpayer money to jumpstart the stalled Columbus Center project.
“Lots of energy is being spent right now trying to figure out if there’s a way to get Columbus Center back on track,” Wilkerson, a Roxbury Democrat, told Banker & Tradesman. “But I’m looking to do it without requiring taxpayers to write a big check.”
Construction began earlier this year on the controversial 1.3 million-square-foot development to be built on a 7-acre deck above the Massachusetts Turnpike connecting Boston’s Back Bay, South End and Bay Village neighborhoods. The proposal includes a 35-story glass tower and four 11-story buildings. But funding woes brought construction for the $800 million mini-city to a halt in April.
The project, stalled for five years, began to face more funding problems last spring when Gov. Deval Patrick withdrew up to $20 million in Massachusetts Opportunity Relocation and Expansion Jobs Capital grants for Columbus Center. MassHousing – the state’s affordable housing bank – followed, saying it would not close on a pair of loans totaling $20.6 million for the project.
‘Fresh Public Assistance’
On Friday, The Boston Globe reported that a spokesman for the development team said the developers and Wilkerson were discussing ways to “generate fresh public assistance.” But Wilkerson, who faces a challenge in the fall election from Sonia Chang-Diaz, said in an interview with Banker & Tradesman that the discussions were not about seeking state or city cash.
“None of the meetings I’ve held with the developers since April have been about giving them more money,” she said. “We did not even discuss resurrecting the money that has been pulled off the table. We are examining things that don’t cost the city of Boston or the commonwealth anything. We’re trying to find resources that would not tap tax-payer money, but allow Boston and the state to take advantage of a project that offers benefits to the community.”
Wilkerson declined to provide specifics. “There are several different things under discussion,” she said.
Alan Eisner, a spokesman for WinnDevelopment, said the meetings with Wilkerson have not focused on getting more taxpayer subsidies.
“They’re trying to come up with ways to support the project, but we don’t have any specifics right now,” he said.
While the other Beacon Hill lawmakers who represent the downtown district – including House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, state Rep. Martha M. Walz and state Rep. Byron Rushing – oppose public financing for Columbus Center, Wilkerson has steadfastly advocated for Boston–based WinnDevelopment. In 2006, she inserted a $4.3 million allocation in the state budget to build the decks over the turnpike. But the measure was defeated by the Legislature.
“There is simply no other project that will bring the kind of benefits that Columbus Center offers, including 2,300 jobs,” she said. “Without public funding we would never have built the Convention Center, the Hampton Inn in Roxbury and the Seaport Hotel. We helped the Patriots build Patriots Place to the tune of $300 million. Who are we kidding?”
